Reviews:
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With a great visual style and differently-themed take on roguelike deckbuilding, Fights in Tight Spaces makes a case for your attention
OK, so there are a ton of roguelike deckbuilders that have been bum rushing the Switch and other platforms since the likes of Slay the Spire really broke through to the mainstream consciousness. What has traditionally been a challenge for many newcomers is that more often than not they would feel like variations on a theme rather than something fresh, so the bar was tending to get pretty impossibly high to clear. Where the developers of Fights in Tight Spaces absolutely made the right decision was in mixing that turn-based strategic play with some great and visually-stylish almost John Wick-esque fighting action. While things start out relatively simply, with you having a handful of attacks, defensive options, and some critical movement capabilities, as you progress and clear zones your enemies will keep getting trickier and more numerous. Thankfully you’ll also be choosing which cards you’ll unlock as well, either looking to specialize in focus on attacks or movement (as examples) or trying to keep it balanced. The challenge here is definitely being careful to understand how your more powerful cards can be triggered, often requiring not only some power but sometimes things like your combo meter being to a certain level. Between managing this and outmaneuvering your enemies in the hopes that their attacks hit each other instead of you it can be a lot to take in and manage, all complicated by your hopes that the RNG gods will look kindly on you for your next draw to get you out of tough spots. Despite sharing quite a bit of core DNA with its subgenre brethren, Fights in Tight Spaces absolutely distinguishes itself, and if you enjoy crazy and varied beat-em-up action doing it in a turn-based format doesn’t tend to make it any less satisfying.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.2]